Controlling device for electric circuits



`1. ALLES. CONTHOLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITSI. APPLICATION FILED APR- 5. 1919 1,412,591, Patented Apr. 11, 1922.

///// //////.l lY//fy/TVA 1 U J0 I Y I 1s j? 4 Y. I0 22 IN1/Enron 13 Jole/12u41 l es UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE. .IoHN ALLES, or EXETER, ciiLIroitNIA,` AssIGNort or ONE-HALF 'ro ABRAHAM DINKINs, or wooiiLAKii, CALIFORNIA. j f

CONTROLLING DEVICE FOR ELECTRIC CIRCUITS.

Application filed April 5, `1919. Serial N0..287,661.

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN ALLns, a citizen j of the United States, residing at Exeter, in

the county of Tulare, State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Controlling tric Circuits; and l do declare 'the following to be a full, clear, and enact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in pneumatically and mechanically actuated mechanism for throwing the switch of an electric pump motor under certain conditions to stop the pump, the same being' particularly designed. and adapted to be used in connection with vcentrifugal pumps used for pumping water for irrigatingpurposes.

The conditions of the iiow of water in which these pumps operate arewsuch that very often the capacity of the pump exceeds the iniow of water into the sump, etc., in which the pump is positioned'. ln such cases the load is taken off the pump and mo tor, which runs at abnormal speed.'

The principal object of my invention therefore is to 'provide a means for automatically shutting off ythe current which feeds the motor and thus stopping the pump, the instant the pump begins to suck air? Vand a vacuum is formed therein;

l have also provided a signal means operable in connection with the 'motor circuit breaking means whereby the voperator in the ranch house or elsewhere will be immediately notified of the stoppage of the pump.

A further object is and inexpensive device, and yet one which will be exceedingly effective for the purposes for which it is designed.

y These objects laccomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims. n On the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a knife switch, showing my improved throwing means at,-

tached thereto, the switch .being closed.l

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the main switch thrown out. and the circuit broken.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view through the Devices for Electo provide a simple coacting parts.

Fig. et isan elevation ofthe signal switch and coacting partsas used in connection with my device..l

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary section transversely of theswitch'board, and showing the spring controlled .throwing bar.

Referring'now more particularly to the characters of `reference on the drawing, 1nu meral 1 indicates a switch-board ofany suitable noneconducting material, on one side of which is mounted a knife kswitch 2, having any desired number of blades, and adapted ,to engage with the startingpositi'on forks and the running-position forks 4.

Slidably mounted on rods 5, secured vt0 the base l is a bar 6 of suitable non-conducting material, which ybar passes under the switch 2A transversely of lthe same and adjacent the forks 4L.

Compression springs on the rods 5 normally maintain the position of the bar 6 above the top of the forks 4. i

Rigidly attached to the bar 6 and slidi vacuum diaphragm chamber, showing the V able through the board 1 and projecting therethrough are rods 8 to the lower end of which is secured a bar 9 extending parallel Vto the bar 6. This bar 9 is adapted to bear against the' under side of the board l when the bar 6 is at its highest position on* the rods 5. Depending from the bar 9 centrally thereof is a bar 10 Ato which is secured a knife switch blade' 11 adapted to contact with forks 12 of a switch 13 when thebar 6 is in its uppermost position, as indicated in Fig. 2, which permits a flow of current from a wire y14, through a switch blade 15 always preferably thrown in, thence through a wire 16 and through the blade 1l to a wire 17, thus completing a circuit in whicha red lamp, or a bell, maybe interposed to give an alarm. l

On the under side of the board 1 opposite fromthe switch 13 is a bar 18 having arms 19 and 2O depending therefrom. To the bar 19 is pivoted as at 21 an arm 22 having a l transverse pin 23 nearone end thereof adapted to ride in a recess 24 providedin the bar 10 when the saineis in its lowermostposition as shown in Fig. l.

The otherend of the arm 22 a narrow `portion 25 adapted to yresten a roller 26 projecting fromra short lever arm or trigger 27 pivoted as/at 28,130 the arm' 20,

terminates in the arm 27 being pivoted and positioned at right angles to the arm 22. The end of the arm 27 opposite the roller 26 narrows down as at 27a and projects in the groove of a collar 29 secured to a rod 30 projecting into a circular casing 3l and being there secured to a diaphragm 32 mounted in the casing.

The rod is held in vertical position relative to the casing 31 by means of a rod mounted to the casing and having a bearing plate 34 thereon which projects beyond the rod 30 and through which the latter slides.

The diaphragm is normally held against the upper side of the casing by counter balancing springs 35 interposed about the rod 30 between the casing and the plate 3i, these springs being spaced by a rigid collar 30a.

A. pipe 86 is connected to the casin g 3l. below the diaphragm and leads to a point adj acent the Outlet of a centrifugal pump, not shown.

An air vent 3la is placed in the casing l above the diaphragm.

A spring controlled bar 37 is mounted to the plate l adjacent the starting-position forks 3, which bar bears against the switch blades 2 when the same is in contact with the forks 3 and makes it easier to throw the switch 2 out of contact with the said forks and over to the running-position forks.

The operation of the device is as follow:-

Suppose the pump to be in operation and that the switch 2 is closed as shown in F ig. 1. With the pipe 8G connected to the discharge end of the pump, there will be a pressure on the under side of the diaphragm 32 greater than atmospheric pressure when the pump delivers water. This pressure will overhalance the pressure of the spring 35 and the atmosphere on top of the diaphragm, but when the sump runs dry and the pump sucks air at its inlet, the pressure on the under side of the diaphragm will be decreased sufiiciently to allow the atmospheric pressure thereabove to depress the diaphragm in the casing 8l. This pulls down the rod 30, which causes the trigger 27 to tilt and moves the roller out from under the arm 22. The bar 6 is held down against the tension of the spring 7 by reason of the pin 28 in the arm 22 resting in the recess 24 in the bar 10. As soon as the end 25 of the arm 22 is released, therefore, the springs 7 acting on the bar 6 and the parts secured thereto, cause the said bar to move upwards, forcing the switch blades 2 out of contact with the forks 4t. This, of course, breaks the circuit through the pump-motor wiring, and the same stops before harm is done.

At the same time, the switch blade ll contacts with the forks l2 of the switch 13, thus closing a lamp lighting or bell ringing circuit, as previously explained. When it is desired to again start the pump, the vacuum therein having been eliminated and the diaphragm again assumed its normal position, the switch member' 2 after first being placed in contact with the starting-position forks Si, is thrown over to press down on the bar (i, compressing the spring 7 thereunder, forcing the bar 9 down also. The edge of the arm 22 is positioned to bear against the under side of the bar 9 so that it is also lever-ed into position, until by the time the switch 2 is fully thrown in, the arm 22 has snapped past the roller 26 and is resting thereon, and the pin 23 in the arm 22 is seated in the recess 24. In this position, the springs 7 are held from upward action against the bar 6 and will be so held until a lack of water in the pump again actuates the diaphragm.

While in this description I have designated the upper and lower7 sides of the board l and parts relative thereto, it is to be understood that such terms are only relative to the showing thereof on the drawings, the device may be set in any desired position without impairing the operativeness thereof.

Also, while I have made especial mention of an electric pump-motor, it will be evident that the same device may apply to a gasoline engine running such a pump, in which case the throwing out of the switch would break the ignition circuit of the engine, which would then stop.

The motor switch may be of the oil type, and the diaphragm may be connected to actuate an auto-starter for a motor` if desired.

The device is shown when the diaphragm is connected to a pump with a check valve in the discharge. If the pump has a check valve in the suction pipe, the diaphragm is connected to the suction pipe and the same is drawn in when the pump is working, but when the flow of water is stopped, the normal vacuum is lost and the diaphragm then springs out to throw the switch, the same being properly connected to the diaphragm stem to accomplish this.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the object of the invention as set forth herein.

IVhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. An electric switch including a pivoted blade adapted to close a circuit, a springpressed bar under the blade and bearing against the same to normally hold the blade in a circuit breaking position, and means connected to said bar for holding the same away from the blade to allow the latter t0 be moved to close the circuit, said means being adapted to be automatically trippedto release and throw the blade while allowing the latter to be manually actuated at will.r v

2. An electric switch' including` amovable blade adapted to close a circuit, a spring actuated member pressing against the blade to normally hold the same in an open circuit position, a pivoted trip arm engaging the member at one end and means engaging the trip arm at the other end for holding the member away from the bladeto allow the switch to be closed, such means comprising a trigger pivoted intermediate its ends at right angles to the arm and adjacent the free end thereof and a roller projecting "from the trigger and adapted to support said end of the arm when the switch blade spring actuated member is free of the blade, said end ot the i arm being relatively thin and the trigger being adapted to be automatically rocked to throw7 the roller out of the path `of movement of the arm to allow the latter to trip.

In testimony whereof l atlix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

n Jol-1N ALLES. Witnesses: i i

Geo. E. SWANsoN, W. A. WATERMAN. 

